Ice skate stabilizers



Jan. 12, 1960 I. F. JENSEN ICE SKATE STABILIZERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1958 INVENTOR. IwEla "F. \hausau vm'ulem ATTO EHEYS Jan. 12, 1960 I. F. JENSEN ICE SKATE STABILIZERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27. 1958 INVENTOR. \WEIZ F. J EH$EM AT TOIZUEY ICE SKATE STABILIZERS Iwer F. Jensen, Gypsum, Ohio Application June 27, 1958, Serial No. 745,016 6 Claims. (Cl. 280-11.12)

This inventio'n relates to improvements in stabilizing means for ice skates, and more particularly to improved stabilizing attachments for removable application to ice skates for aiding beginners in learning to skate.

The primary object of the invention is to provide efiicient, practical, and readily adjustable attachments of this kind which can be applied to different forms of shoeequipped ice skate assemblies, such as hockey and figure skate assemblies, and to clamp-on skates of various types, and which serve to stabilize the runners of skates in upright position and prevent the ankle-turning which is characteristic of beginners and facilitate learning to skate.

Another object of the invention is to provide devices of the character indicated above which have independently adjustable auxiliary runners, located at opposite sides of the skate runners, which can be adjusted not only to put their ice-engaging edges parallel to the runner edge of the skate, but to enable elevating the edges of the auxiliary runners to different heights above the skate runner edges as progress in ankle stability and skating skill is made by a beginner and less reliance upon the presence of the auxiliary runners is needed.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a device of the invention applied to a shoe-equipped ice skate assembly having a flat sole;

Figure 1a is a similar view showing the device applied to an ice skate assembly involving a shoe heel and an angled sole portion;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of said device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, and first to Figures 1 to 4, the numeral 10 generally designates an ice-skate having a single runner 12 from which rise forward and rear posts 14 and 16 which have plates 18 and 20, respectively, on their upper ends which are secured, as indicated at 22, to the underside of forward and rear portions of a flat platform or of a sole 24 of a skate sho'e 26. The sole 24 has a fiat coplanar intermediate portion 28.

The illustrated stabilizing attachment, generally designated 30, comprises a pair of similar but reversed auxiliary runner brackets 32 and 34, preferably made of suitable flat'metal bar stock, each of which has an elongated straight fiat arm '36 which terminates at its lower end in a relatively short flat depending ear 38 which is disposed at an obtuse angle to the arm 36 and has a serrated outer side 40.

United States Patent The arm 36 terminates at its upper end in an upstand ing portion 42, which is disposed at an obtuse angle to the arm 36 and terminates in a horizontal laterally outwardly extending portion 44 which has on its laterally outward end an upwardly and laterally inwardly curved jaw 46. In the case of application of the attachment to the intermediate portion 28 of the flat sole 24 of the shoe 26, the horizontal portions 44 of the brackets 32 and 34 constitute sole bottom engaging portions and the jaws 46 engage around the side edges 48 of the intermediate portion 28. The portions 44 and the jaws 46 serve in similar fashion, with respect to the forwardly declining intermediate portion 28a of the sole 24a of the shoe 26a, shown in Figure la, wherein there is present a heel 50 to which is secured the rear post 16a on the runner 12a of the skate 10a.

In the case of use of the device 30 on a clamp-on type of skate (not shown) having separated platform portions, the device is clamped to the sole of the shoe between the platform portions, by means of the portions 44 and the jaws 46, as described above, the shoe being strapped or otherwise secured on the divided skate platform. However, where the strap-on skate has a solid or undivided platform, the device can be clamped either to an intermediate part of the platform or to the shoe sole.

The brackets 32 and 34 further comprise transverse bolt barrels 52 which are preferably formed coplanar in and closely spaced from the upper ends of the arms 36 where the arms 36 join the upstanding portions 42. The barrels 52 of the bracket 32 reach from the forward side edge 54 of the arm 36 as far as the inner edge56 of a rectangular notch 58 approximately half as wide as the arm 36 and opening through therear side edge 60 of the arm 36. A similar but reversed arrangement of notch 58 opening through the forward side edge 62 of the arm, and bolt barrel 52 reaching from the rear side edge 64 of the arm 36 obtains in the case of the bracket 34.

The brackets 32 and 34 are arranged in crossed and intersecting relation to each other, with the notches 58 engaged and with the bolt barrels 52 in endwise engagement and with a pivot pin 66 extending through the barrels and secured in place by a head 68 on one end and a head 70 on the other end of the pin 66. The notches 58 are wide enough to permit relatively wide amplitude of angular'pivoting of the brackets 32 and 34 relative to each other.

The upstanding portions 42 of the brackets 32 and 34 are provided with centralholes 72 through which ex tends a clamping bolt 74 having a head 76 on one end and a nut 78 on its other end which engage the outer .;sides of the portions 42.

The depending ears 38 are provided with central threaded holes 80 in which are threaded the shanks 82 of auxiliary runner clamping screws 84 having heads 86.

The auxiliary runners 88 are similar and are preferably in the form of longitudinally and horizontally elongated, vertically disposed flat bar metal plates 90 which have straight ice-engaging lower edges 92 having upturned forward portions 94. The plates 90 have upper edges 96 having rearwardly declining rear portions 98 and upstanding on intermediate portions of the upper edges 96 are cars 100.

On the laterally inward sides of the plates 90 and ears 100 are related portions of circles 102 of serrations which cooperate with the serrations 40 on the outward sides of the cars 38 for retaining the runners 88 in various angularly adjusted positions on the brackets 32 and 34.

The runners 88 are provided intermediate their ends with vertically elongated slots 104 which pass the clamping screws 84 and provide for both vertical and angular adjustments of the runners '88 relative to the brackets 32 and 34, in which the runners are retained by the serrations 102 and 40 when the screws 84 are tightened by threading them into the holes 80 in the cars 38.

The device 30 is applied, the clamping bolt 74 being removed from the brackets 32 and 34, by passing the brackets through the space between the skate runner and the shoe sole, or in the case of a clamp-on type of skate, between its runner and its platform, then engaging the jaws 46 around the side edges 48 of the sole or platform. The clamping bolt 74 is then extended through the holes 72 in the bracket portions 42 and the nut 78 tightened to clamp the jaws 46 firmly in place.

The clamping screws 84 are then loosened and the auxiliary runners 88 are adjusted either angularly or vertically, so as to put their ice-engaging edges 92 parallel to the edge of the skate runner 12 or 120. For a starting beginner, the auxiliary runners 88 are given a height adjustment which puts their edges 92 in the same plane as the edges of the skate runners, to provide maximum stabilization. However, as the beginner advances and requires less stabilization of the skates, the auxiliary runners 88 can be vertically adjusted so that their edges 92 are above the skate runner edge and touch the ice and provide stabilizing support for the skates only when the skates are tilted sidewise out of normal perpendicular skating positions, and to enable the skate to rest without ankle strain.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure or and in the relative arrangement of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An ice skate stabilizing attachment comprising bracket means having clamp means, and a pair of laterally spaced auxiliary runners mounted on said bracket means, said bracket means having upper ends and lower ends, oppo'sed clamping jaws on said upper ends, clamping means acting between said jaws, and means mounting the auxiliary runners on the lower ends of said bracket means.

2. An ice skate stabilizing attachment comprising bracket means having clamp means, and a pair of laterally spaced auxiliary runners mounted on the bracket means, said bracket means comprising a pair of crossed and pivotally connected brackets having upper and lower ends, opposed clamping jaws on said upper ends, means mounting the auxiliary runners on the lower ends of the brackets, and clamping means acting between said jaws.

3. An ice skate stabilizing attachment comprising bracket means having clamp means, and a pair of laterally spaced auxiliary runners mounted on the bracket means, said bracket means comprising a pair of crossed and pivotally connected brackets having upper ends and lower ends, opposed clamping jaws on said upper ends, clamping means acting between said jaws, and means severally mounting the auxiliary runners on the lower ends of related brackets.

4. An ice skate stabilizing attachment comprising bracket means having clamp means, and a pair of laterally spaced auxiliary runners mounted on the bracket means, said bracket means comprising a pair of crossed and pivotally connected brackets having upper ends and lower ends, opposed clamping jaws on said upper ends, clamping means acting between said jaws, and means severally mounting the auxiliary runners on the lower ends of related brackets, said clamping means comprising a clamping bolt traversing the brackets at points be tween the jaws and the intersection of the brackets.

5. In combination, a skate assembly comprising a platform having an intermediate portion, a skate secured to and beneath the platform and having a single runner spaced below the platform and having an ice-engaging edge, said intermediate portion of the platform having side edges, a removable stabilizing attachment comprising bracket means having clamp means engaged with the side edges of the intermediate portion of the platform. and a pair of laterally spaced auxiliary runners on said bracket means and having ice-engaging edges, said bracket means having upper ends and lower ends, opposed clamping jaws on said upper ends, and means mounting the auxiliary runners on the lower ends of said bracket means.

6. In combination, a skate assembly having a platform comprising spaced forward and rear portions, a shoe having a sole secured upon the platform and having an intermediate portion located in the space between said forward and rear platform portions, said skate assembly comprising a single runner spaced below said platform, a removable stabilizing attachment comprising bracket means having clamp means gripping the side edges of said intermediate portion of the shoe sole, and a pair of laterally spaced auxiliary runners on said bracket means and having ice-engaging edges, said bracket means having upper ends and lower ends, opposed clamping jaws on said upper ends, and means mounting the auxiliary runners on the lower ends of said bracket means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 79,329 Dubois June 30, 1868 601,013 Evans Mar. 22, 1898 2,764,417 Sweet Sept. 25, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 127,359 Germany Jan. 10, 1902 7,887 Great Britain May 18, 1901 

